You can still end up being wrong, but if you stack the deck in your favor, the odds of being wrong will be smaller than if you based your decision on a single indicator.

FORBES: Why You Shouldn't Rely On A Single Indicator

The single-best indicator, or one of the single-best indicators, of a country's prosperity around the world is how does it treat its women.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama and President Karzai Hold a Press Conference | The White House

Although it would definitely be useful to know your car's fuel mileage (a decline in miles per gallon is a good indicator of potential problems), I'm not dedicated enough to enter every single gasoline purchase.

CNN: Use your Mac to track your money

This is one advantage over the Conference Board's leading economic indicator, which conceals useful information by combining longer- and shorter-term indicators in a single measure.

ECONOMIST: Leading economic indicators